William Paston

“ Sir J. Fastolf goes to reside in Norfolk. William Paston now reported to his brother that Sir John Fastolf was about to take his journey into Norfolk within a few days, and proposed to take up his residence at Caister. His going thither must have been regarded as an event not only in the neighbourhood of Yarmouth but even in the city of Norwich. At all events it was highly important to John Paston, whose advice the old knight valued in many matters. ‘He saith,’ wrote William Paston to his brother, ‘ye are the heartiest kinsman and friend that he knoweth. ”

“ Twenty years after William Paston's death an attempt was made to defeat his son's claim to the Fastolf estates on the plea that his grandmother, and apparently his grandfather too, had been of servile blood. Clement Paston was alleged to have been merely a good plain husbandman who cultivated his own little holding of a hundred acres or so, much of which he held on base tenure of the duchy of Lancaster, and drove his own corn to market (ib. vol. i. p. xxi, vol. ii. p. 227) . The family, it was said, held no manorial rights until William Paston purchased some. ”

“ And your brother Edmund bade your man keep possession to your behoof, and warned the tenants to pay no man till ye had spoken to them.’ In the afternoon Edmund went on to Oxnead, where a servant named Piers kept possession for Sir John Paston, and he found that William Paston’s agent was not there at the time, but had ordered another man to be there in his place. ”

“ Be it knowen to alle maner persons that we, the seid William Barker and Margret Wyssetyr, testyfy, depose, and wytnesse for trouthe that we have full serteyn prof and knowlache that William Paston, of the seid counte of Norffolk, jentylman, was kynnysman unto the seid Sir John Fastolf, and was with hym in ryght syngler gode favour and trust ”

“ Item,52.1 I bequeth to William Paston, sone of the seid John Paston, and Elizabeth his suster, C. marc whan they come to laufull age, to be take and receyved of the londes beforseid; and if either of them die or they come to the seid age, than I wull that the part of him or hir so deying remayne to the survyver of them at laufull age, and if they bothe dye or they come to the seid age, than I wull that the seid C. marc be disposed for the helth of my sowle by th’avise of myn executours. ”

“ Wherfor I pray you hertely that ye will take the labour to come to Norwych, to comen with William Paston, and to yeve credens unto hym in such maters as he shall enforme you of myne entent, and of sertayn persones with whom ye shall comen by th’avyse of the seyd William Paston, of such maters as touch the sayd Sir John Paston; prayng you to tendre thys mater as ye wolde do myne owne. ”

“ The fifth son of Sir William Paston was Sir Thomas Paston; in the 35th of Henry VIII. he was a gentleman of the King's privy chamber, and in the year following was knighted at Bologne in France; he married Anne, daughter and coheir of Sir John Leigh of Addington, in Surrey, and from him descend the family of the Pastons of Berningham, in Norfolk. The daughters of the said William were, first, Elianor, married to Thomas Manners Earl of Rutland; 2d, Anne, married to Sir Thomas Tindale, of Hockwold; 3d, Elizabeth, to Sir Francis Leak of Derbyshire ”

“ Item, the seid William hath takyn awey owth of the maners of John Paston, that is to sey, of hes maners of Paston, Oxened, Marlyngford, Stansted, and Horwelburye, siche stoff and greynys, catell and hotilementis of the seid maners as were agreyd be the executors of the seyd William Paston, Justyse, to be left and latyn with the seid maners to the value of xlli. ”

“ You are an alien from your family. You are betrothed to a low trader, with no gentle blood in his veins."
"The good Sir William Paston, Knight, and whilom Judge of His Majesty's Court of the Common Pleas, would rise from his grave to save a granddaughter of his from inter-marrying with mustard and candle," quoth the ancient lady. ”

“ A weak king surrounded by turbulent nobles was incapable of discharging the duties of government, and only the strong man armed could hope to keep his goods in peace. A lawyer like his father, Paston spent much time in London, leaving his wife to look after his business in Norfolk; and many of the Letters were written by Margaret to her husband, detailing the progress of affairs in the county. It is during the lifetimes of John Paston and his eldest son that the Letters are most numerous and valuable, not only for family matters, but also for the history of England. ”

“ After them came Sir William Paston, a lawyer, one of whose daughters, Eleanor, married Thomas Manners, first Earl of Rutland. He had also two sons, of whom the first, Erasmus, died before him. Clement Paston. The second, whose name was Clement, was perhaps the most illustrious of the whole line. Born at Paston Hall, in the immediate neighbourhood of the sea, he had an early love for ships, was admitted when young into the naval service of Henry VIII., and became a great commander. In an engagement with the French he captured their admiral, the Baron de St. ”

“ And it is so that many yeres aftir the decesse of the seide William, Justice, ther were many men lyvyng bothe of olde brethern of oures afore rehersyd, and of other that cowde aborne witnesse in this mater, and that knewe the mynde of the seide William Paston, Justice, that it was his last will, of whiche men many now be deceassed; and no merveill, for it is upon a xliij. yere past sithen the seide William, Justice, deyed. And also the seide Annes that was hys wif lyved more thanne xxx. ”

“ WILLIAM PASTON, JUNIOR, TO JOHN PASTON7.2 To his worchepfull broder, John Paston, be thys delivered in hast.
1479
FEB. 23
Ryght reverent and worchepfull broder, after all dewtes of recomendacion, I recomaunde me to yow, desyryng to here of your prosperite and welfare, whych I pray God long to contynew to Hys plesore, and to your herts desyr; letyng yow wete that I receyved a letter from yow, in the whyche letter was viijd. with the whyche I schuld bye a peyer of slyppers.
Ferthermor certyfying yow, as for the xiijs. iiijd. ”

“ WILLIAM PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON143.2 To the ryght worchepfull Sir John Paston, Knyght.
1492
FEB. 18
Aftyr all dew recomendacion, lyke it yow to undyrstond that Syr Herry Heydon schewyd me that it is agreyd be Syr Edmond Bedyngfeld, that the mater betwyx hym and my brodyr Yelverton143.3 schalbe comynd at 144 Norwyche, and there a dyreccion to be takyn in the same mater, mete for them bothe.
Syr, the Kyng sendythe ordynaunce dayly to the see syde, and hys tentes and alys [pavilions] be a makyng faste, and many of them be made ”

“ WILLIAM PASTON TO HENRY WARYNS15.1 1479
JULY 19
Harry Waryns, I grete you well, and I thanke you for youre labour. And as for the tenauntez of Knapton, I understand by youre writing that they take non oder consideration to my sendyng but that I call so fast on my fee, for cause they thynke that I am aferd lest I shuld have it no longer; and as for that, I pray yow tell them for ther ungentilnes I woll have my fee of them, and in that maner and in non oder place; and ferthermor I shall fynd the mene that they shall paye it more hastely here after. ”

“ WILLIAM PASTON TO THE BAILIFF OF MAUTBY123.1 To the Baly of Mawlteby.
1489
Mayster Baly, I recomaunde me on to yow, praynge yow that ye woll sende me be Wylliam Kokkys123.2 berer her of, iiij. nobylles in golde, putt in to the same boxe that thys byll is in, as thow it wer evydens; for I have tolde the masengere that he schulde brynge me nothyng but evydens, for he is in a manere departyng owt of my servyse, wherfore I wold nott he knew so myche of my counsell. And as for the remenaunte, I wellde ze schulde kepe it tyll I come my selfe. ”

“ Two months later Sir John Paston found it necessary to go up to London on business, partly, it would seem, about his dispute with the Duke of Suffolk, and partly, perhaps, to keep 308 watch on the proceedings of his uncle William with regard to the lands of his grandmother; for it appears that his uncle, who immediately on his mother’s death laid claim to the manor of Marlingford,308.1 had been making certain applications to the escheator on the subject, which were naturally viewed with jealousy. ”

“ Paston had become very intimate with the wealthy knight. Sir John Fastolf, who was probably related to his wife, and who had employed him on several matters of business. In 1459 Sir John died without children, leaving his affairs in rather a tangled condition. In accordance with the custom of the time, he had conveyed many of his estates in Norfolk and Suffolk to trustees, among whom were John Paston and his brother William, retaining the revenues for himself, and probably intending his trustees after his death to devote the property to the foundation of a college. ”

“ For the seide William Paston knowleched bifore my lorde of Warewyk and youre Chaunceller of Inglonde, youre Tresorer, youre chef Juge of the Kynges benche, and afore other of yor sergeantz of lawe, beynge to gidere, how he radde diversez evidences of xix acres londe that schulde longe un to youre seide pore bisechere every yere vjs. viijd., so that sche wolde holde here plesed and content. Up on the whiche sche wolde nat holde here so agreed with oute youre gracious advis in this matere. ”

“ Cousin Paston, in my most herty wyse I recomaund me unto you, and thank you for many kindnesses of tyme past, and also for that ye have bene so good maister unto my sarvaunt William May, and now at his comyng to me ye have at your greate coste sent him to me dressed in suche wise as is veray necessary for me to have men appareled; for the whiche your kindnesse I think myselfe right muche beholden to do you pleasure and it moght lye in my power, which I wuld right gladly do, as knoweth our Lord, whom I beseche to send you moche harte pleasure. ”

“ With the prospect of marriage it was thought desirable that William should have some regular calling. Without, so far as appears, passing any examinations or obtaining any certificates, he bought the business of a chemist and druggist in Hanley, and thither, though with no intention of settling permanently in the Potteries, he took his bride as soon as the honeymoon was over. Only seven months were spent at Hanley, and in December, 1821, the couple were preparing to move to Nottingham, where William had bought the good-will of another chemist's business. ”

“ The correspondence reveals the Pastons in a great variety of relations to their neighbours, friendly or hostile; and abounds with illustrations of the course of public events, as well as of the manners and morals of the time. Nothing is more remarkable than the habitual acquaintance of educated persons, both men and women, with the law, which was evidently indispensable to persons of substance.
In addition to the editions of the Paston Letters already mentioned, see F. Blomefield and C. Parkin, History of Norfolk (London, 1805–1810) , and the article in Dict. Nat. Biog. ”

“ As soon as the news of his death arrived in Norfolk, John Paston wrote to his mother, desiring that his brother Edmund would ride to Marlingford, Oxnead, Paston, Cromer, and 309 Caister, to intimate his right of succession to the tenants of these different manors, and to warn those of Marlingford and Oxnead to pay no rents to the servants or officers of his uncle William.309.1 These two manors, the reader will remember, belonged to Agnes Paston ”

“ Paston, looking backward, saw Rosamund and William Bates together near the stern.
"It must be a terrible thing to be cursed with ambition and executive ability," observed Paston. "I'm awfully glad I haven't got any."
"Well, there it is," she responded. "I've got to have something on hand.
I've got to engineer. I've got to manage."
Paston brought back his eyes from William Bates and Rosamund. "Everybody knows what a capable manager you are." ”

“ If it was so, the prediction was verified before another twelvemonth had passed away.
How matters went during the winter we have very little indication, except that Paston’s friend John Wykes, an officer of the king’s household, A.D. 1465. Feb. 7. writes to Margaret Paston on the 7th February from London, ‘that my master your husband, my mistress your mother, my master Sir John, Mr. William, Mr. 218 Clement, and all their men, were in good health when this letter was written, thanked be Jesu ”

“ And now after the death of the said William, the said John Albon died; and now John Paston, son to the said William, by force of the mortgage sent for the son of the said John Albon to Norwich.’
The reader will probably be of opinion that several of the facts here recorded are by no means so discreditable to the Pastons as the writer certainly intended that they should appear. The object of the whole paper is to cast a stigma on the family in general, as a crafty, money-getting race who had risen above their natural rank and station. ”

“ Oh, it was a most mortifying and humiliating thing to see men professing liberal and honest principles act so badly. A month ago, when in the very depths of discouragement and low spirits, I set about a little volume for Darton, to be called Birds and Flowers, and have pretty nearly finished it. William, in the mean time, has finished his Rural Life, and sold the first edition to Longman's.'
The manager of the unlucky paper was Major Carmichael Smith, who, when matters grew desperate, sent for his step-son, Thackeray, then acting as Paris correspondent for a London daily. ”